Pompeo Batoni (1708-1787) was a quite fashionable 18th century painter. He was greatly in demand for his grand portraits sought after by almost all the noble families in Europe. The best of his portraits are distinguished by a thoughtful and serious attitude, and a wish to get a better insight into the character of the sitter. The painter set his models against the background of ancient ruins, lush vases or other pieces of art. He painted over two hundred portraits commissioned by, among others, Russian aristocrats, such as Count Razumovsky or Prince Golitsyn.
Also popular were Batoni’s allegorical paintings depicting ancient gods and heroes or biblical scenes. Success never left his side. Batoni’s artistic manner was amazingly in tune with the tastes of the age that gave preference to strict classicist shapes combined with echoes of the lavish and superfluous Baroque art.
In Batoni’s works one can notice the traditions of the Baroque and Rococo, which under the influence of Rafael acquire the clarity and restraint of Classicism and Neoclassicism. However, that was in line with the pan-European trends in the development of art.
